In last week’s blog, Get Lost I wrote about the joys of boondocking. This week, let’s consider a logical start to boondocking, which is often referred to as anything from dry-camping (no hook-ups) in places like Walmart parking lots, highway rest stops, truck stops, at rallies (where all the RVs are parked in a big field or parking lot), and at events like chili cook-offs, county fairs, etc. to what I call “coyote camping,” which is camping on our public lands away from highway noise, in un-publicized campsites you have to search for, and where you may not see another camper—or any other people–for days.
But I’ll come to that. I think we need to deal with some preparation first. Coyote camping is not the way to lose your boondocking virginity. It’s best to start dry-camping where rescue is nearby so that you can learn the limits of your RV’s resources and can replenish and restore with minimal effort. That includes annoyances like filling your gray water tank, running out of drinking water, and having your lights dim with the depletion of your house batteries just before the hero confronts the killer in the murder mystery you’ve been glued to.
This is where thinking green and practicing boondocking become synonymous and complimentary. If you are newcomer to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and you still practice wasteful habits like letting the water run while you shower or wash dishes, leaving lights on when not needed or the TV on when not being watched, or you don’t check your TP or coffee supplies until you run out, you may have to alter some habits before venturing too far afield.
To begin to hone your boondocking skills, begin by camping for a few days in a no-hookup campground, like at a state park, in a National Forest, or a Corps of Engineers location, where a dump station is either at the campground or nearby for when your full, smelly, gray water holding tank fills up and backs up into your bathtub and you need to dump NOW, and when your faucet sputters with its last drop from the fresh water holding tank. A short drive to a dump station will remedy the first dilemma, and your water hoses will stretch to the nearest water supply. When you venture out into the boonies, these ineffective practices are ones that you will want to have replaced with more conservative habits.
More than anything else, a full holding tank, empty water tank, or dead house batteries will be what drives you out of the woods, forced to abandon your babbling streamside campsite. In a couple of weeks I will post a tip list of how to get the most length out of your boondocking camping trip by the wise use of your resources. But next week, I want to show you how to find coyote camping spots, those campsites that will enflame your secret desires to do some really serious boondocking, and bring you back for more.
For the long version of boondocking, my 65-page eBook, Boondocking: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America’s Public Lands, complete with photos and lots of links to more information, is available from my Web site for the astronomical figure of less than eight dollars. Until next week, Happy Travels.
GMAs
Ron….
Just curious – whatever happened to the old addage that if you didn’t have something nice to say about a person (or their efforts, in this case to inform) it’s best not to say anything?!?
Just wondering!
——————————————————–
Me Too Ron… when you find out… let us know also… 😉 😉
Ron Butler
Just curious – whatever happened to the old addage that if you didn’t have something nice to say about a person (or their efforts, in this case to inform) it’s best not to say anything?!?
Just wondering!
GMAs
Bob-
Yes what your addressing (target’n) is more to the dry camping campground at the parks.
Is this truly Boondocking — What then your refering to is to as anything from dry-camping (no hook-ups) in places like Walmart parking lots, highway rest stops, truck stops, at rallies (where all the RVs are parked in a big field or parking lot), and at events like chili cook-offs, county fairs, etc.
“coyote camping,” which is camping on our public lands away from highway noise, in un-publicized, no-frills, natural campsites you have to search for, and where you may not see another camper—or any other people–for days is eactly what we understood and thus the 5W’s
Getting off the highway and on to BLM land… is going to be a lot different than boondocking… way different from what we have experianced… but again… some think that a BLM forest boondock is Coyote Camping… ain’t so… if it has a “manufactured campsite” that is all ready laid out and you just pull into it… (most of the time you have company next door too… so it more like boondocking
Different camping levels here . Do you break it down so that the reader is understanding the difference…
So will be looking for that Coyote Camp list that I can take the 31 ft AS back into… (by the way .. most won’t take more than a 25 ft trailer… or 28ft motorhome… so we have found from our experiance) But, nothing more fun than finding out that you can’t mke that turn around… and have to work for hours getting the RV re-positioned so you can get back out… (we saw one guy try and drive off the hard pack dirt road to make the turn around out in the forest area… he was invensible with his 4×4… so he thought… sunk right up to the floorboards… and about the only time we used the winch on the front of our truck…was to chain up to two trees…(using tree protectors of course to be envoronmentally correct of course) –are you going to talk about equiping the vehicle… might want to discuss winches also– and winch him back around to get on on the hard pack again… had we not had the winch… I think he still would be living out their… or pay’ed a big tow truck bill to come get ’em… to add to the fire… ranger rick came by because he was on the CB calling for help… and wrote him a ticket for driving off the egress road… and messing up the forest floor… go figure…
Well Bob… keep looking for your articles on the subject… like it much better than that other stuff… but, you need to cover all the bases if folks are to head off into the wilderness and do some coyote camping as you call it… most of us call it boondocking or wilderness camping… while the other is just plane campground camping.. either dry or with services… without illusions of boondocking/wilderness camping…
By the way… like in days of old wagon train’s when one is wilderness camping… one also has someone on guard all night long… (if nothing more watching the fire) —something to be said about safety in numbers— firearms are not a option when your out their…as we said… if your out in the forest or back country.. your on the menu…. your biggest worry is not on two legs but rather the bear… which can open up a RV like a hot knife going through butter… we have seen a bear IN A CAMPGROUND tear doors off of cars when people put the bacon in a cooler in it… and you have what in the refer in the camper???… Ya cellphones are good in this case too.. I am sure the bear will wait till help arrives… grin…
So my suggestion is that if your new to the boondocking/wilderness camping — which by the way is great and gets you back to the pioneer sprit– you go with someone or group that has gone before… I don’t know if you can write everything you would want to be attentive to in a book… and yes then once you know your limits…strikng out on your own is a adventure only a few experiance … like no other… grin
Carry on Bob….
Bob Difley
GM – You’re jumping way ahead. There are thousands of good boondocking sites on very good, well packed, forest service roads that do not require twisting around tight turns, driving down (or up) steep grades, or wallowing through mud. And most boondockers are not going to want to subject their rig to such difficulties, though I know you do–and will continue to with that special back country rig you are building to go anywhere. But if I receive enough interest in that type of “extreme boondocking”, I will post on it in a future article. Thanks for your comments, and enjoy the back country as I know you do. Bob
GMAs
Well I can start with… the 5 W’s…. who what when where and why… WHO is going to go back into the deep dark boonies… WHAT … is it that they are going to take… (should we start with the vehicle..discussion… or should we let someone who has a 31 ft AS try the back trails first? first off is the vehicle equipped or ready for the back country… second is the RV… I don’t think someone with a 45ft Revco is going to be wanting to just tear up the thing… yet how are they going to get around that 20 ft radi curve with mountain on one side and sheer cliff on the other… I had to laugh about some of the others that show up to go into the wilderness with 36 ft RV motorhomes… so what you need to do is give ’em a clue as to what to expect the are going to get into… and once they break from the asphalt or concret street… WHEN.. they go is important too… as one sure doesn’t want to get stuck in mud .. that just yesterday was dry rock hard dirt… hmmm ( I remember well the night at the Grand Caynon… one night its shorts and t shirt.. next morning after the strom it was parka and hot coffee… with snow… so shouldn’t you start with the vehicle… and work up… as even some of the vehicles such as the sportsmobile 4×4… are not what I would call real outback adventure RV’s… some cost over 90,000 and your going to take them on a jeep trail… which will scratch it up… bend it… flex it .. crack it… all in all making it worth pennies on the dollar… top heavy dangerous on the out back trails that go up and down and across the cuts… but, this is just the outside… you haven’t talked about tires either…
On the inside… one wants to secure everything.. as if it will come loose…it will… Even things that are screwed down .. (such as the cat heater) we have seen come loose in the AS .. and they have a pretty soft ride… for a RV…
WHERE.. is another point.. explore your possibilites but know you limitations … was a old Air Force instructors creed to students.. Same with the exploring out back camping… what map? doesn’t look like a map… looks more like a chart… (were talking about the quad maps of the outback area…here folks) As once you start down the trail.. you may go down a road that you can’t get back up… even if you have 4×4…. then what you going to do…?? Bob what are the options?
The WHY is because you are now where no one else is… and if your in the wilderness.. your on the menu… from about everything… so are you prepared?
GMAs
Getting a little drunk out over in AZ their Bob… whew!!… nothing of your writing made any sense… your not into making your own green recycled moonshine again are you?? You know how the ATF boys hate that when you do…
Last time you made a batch you said it could be used for Jet fuel… green the airlines.. some mechanics got a hold of a gallon and drank it.. next morning they were missing one guy… who called in from across the country saying.. what every you do.. don’t fart around a open flame… and speaks from experiance as to how he got cross country… Good stuff you brew their Bob… no doubt rocket fuel.
Now getting back to the new Rv blog that just came out all like your on drugs… ahhhhh lots of help on this one… as were guessing it must have been really late when you put it togeather… grin…
GMAs
Love the Coyote camping part of PART III… only problem is I guess I will have to buy the book to find out if I missed anything… i.e something is missing…. again…
GMAs
Geee Bob…. Tell us something new that we already don’t know about.. or had seen in the movie RV… do you have the script your writing from?
Can we get on with the meat and potatoes of Boon Docking… I think we all understand that you can’t leave the water running when the tank is all you have. and for sure we know that the gas on board is all we have due to boondocking.. and no McD’s or Gas stations out their. Should we leave the gen at home?